The Watch
by Mlle. Jennifleur
Summary: This is what I think happened the night that Harry's parents died, from the points of some of the characters. Doubtful it will be continued. I still appreciate review, though.
1. Lily

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling; therefore none of this belongs to me. If I were Ms. Rowling, I would be working my butt off on the sixth and seventh Harry Potter books, not writing on Fanfiction. 

Author's Note: This is my very first Fanfic, so though I welcome all thoughts on my story, please don't be too hard on me! I hope you like The Watch!

This chapter is dedicated to my friends and fellow authors: Phantom Panda, SingingValentine, and Jamfase! Here it is you guys! Hope y'all like it!

Chapter One: Lily

Lily and James Potter were sitting in their living room at Godric's Hollow, James' family home. It was 10 o'clock on a clear, silent Winter Solstice. Lily, having just come down from putting their one-and-a-half year old son, Harry, to bed, was sprawled across the couch, while finger-combing her long hair and thinking. James was reading in an armchair, absant-mindingly chewing on the end of his glasses. 

Lily broke the quiet. "James?"

He looked up from his book and put his glasses back on. "Yes, Lily-of-the-valley?"

"Does it seem too-" she broke of, hesitating, "I don't know, too quiet to you?" 

"Not really, m'dear, but I must admit, it is more peaceful and quiet than usual."

That was just like James - Lily herself - to start reading a book and get completely lost in it, oblivious to the outside world. "Well, doesn't it seem, oh, I don't know, more like calm before the storm than truly peaceful?"

At this, James snapped his full attention to his wife and shut his book, sitting up straighter in his armchair. "Check your watch."

Lily complied, and then gasped at what she saw on it.

The watch Lily was wearing was a very special and unusual watch. This watch not only told the exact time in whatever time zone its owner might be in, it also showed the location of that persona and the people dearest to them. The summer after Lily graduated from Hogwarts, she had made this watch and twelve exactly like it, one for her, one for James, one for each Lily's sisters, Lavender Evans and Petunia Dursley, one for each her parents, Rose and Nelson Evans, one for Sirius Black, James' best and closest friend, one for Remus Lupin, another one of James' closest friend, one for Peter Pettigrew, the last of James' close circle of friends, one for Clarissa Chang, Lily's best friend, and one each for Arabella Figg, Faye Verti, and Ivey Parker, Lily's other close friends, and gave them to her friends and family for Christmas. Lily had labored very hard on these watches, charming them to be exactly perfect. All the watches Lily had given her friends and family that one Christmas had changed, thanks to this war with Voldemort. If someone who had their name on a watch hand died, the hand would disappear. All ready, 5 hands had vanished off the face of Lily's watch. Currently, her watch had 3 separate hands for James, Harry and herself, one each for Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Arabella, and the last one for Petunia, Lily's last living family member. While everyone's hands either were pointing to "home", "work" or "traveling", Lily's, James' and Harry's were all pointing to "mortal peril". 

Lily shoved her watch under James' nose. He took on glance at it, blanched, thrust the watch back at Lily, and rushed over to the window. 

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" James shouted to her, sounding panicked. 

As Lily stumbled up the stairs, she heard the sound of the door bursting open, a high pitched laugh, and the sounds of a duel taking place. She ran into Harry's room, and picked her son up out of his crib. Lily tried to Apparate away with Harry, but couldn't; Voldemort must have put an Anti-Disapparation Jinx on the house. The door to the nursery burst open. Lily put Harry back into his crib, wand out, spinning around to face Tom Marvolo Riddle. 

"You're her for me," Although her voice was calm and collected, Lily was shaking inside. 

"No, stand aside, you didn't need to die."

Lily grew desperate. "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside, now!"

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill instead! Not Harry! Please, have mercy, have mercy!"

Voldemort laughed, a high, shrill laugh, pointed his wand at Lily and said, "Crucio!"

Lily screamed in pain, wishing it would end, knowing it wouldn't until she moved away from Harry, but she wouldn't, she couldn't.

Voldemort stopped, and said, "Lord Voldemort shows no mercy, especially to the weak! Move!"

"NO!!" Lily got all her lost strength back, and roared her answer at him, "NO!!"

"Fine. AVADA-"

Before he could finish, Lily threw all of her love for her husband and son at Harry.

"-KEDEVRA!"

As Lily collapsed, and her spirit rushed away from her body by the flash of green light, all she could think was, "Hold on, Harry, James, I love you both."

***

When Lily finally stopped, she realized that she was behind a big veil. 

"Where am I?" she wondered. Suddenly, the answer came rushing to her, along with the answers to all of the questions Lily had ever asked in her life. 

"So it's true, that in death, all of life's questions are answered," Lily thought contently. Turning away from the black piece of cloth that kept her captive, Lily glanced at her watch. The five hands that had left the watch had reappeared. The hands that read "Lavender Evans," "Rose Evans," "Nelson Evans," "Faye Verti," and "Ivey Parker," along with the "Lily Potter" hand were all pointing to a new position, labeled "Behind the Veil". Looking up, Lily took a breath in sharply. There, right before her very eyes, stood her parents, her younger sister, and Lily's two friends. Lily's family had been murdered two years after Lily had graduated from Hogwarts, the summer between Lavender's second and third year at Hogwarts. Faye and Ivey had been on a mission for the Order of the Phoenix, and had gotten killed last year, ten years after Lily and the gang had graduated Hogwarts. Lily's eyes filled with tears, and ran to embrace her family and old friends.

After several moments of reuniting, Lily looked at her watch. Harry's and James' hands were still pointing to "mortal peril", but oddly, Sirius' hand was now spinning to "traveling" from its old spot of "home". Lily sighed, knowing when she would see her friends and family again. She turned to Faye and Lavender and asked, 

"So you can watch what is going on in front of the veil through the veil?" even though she already knew the answer.

Faye nodded. "That's how we watched you after we came here. James will be here soon, but do you want to watch Harry?"

Lily nodded, and, surrounded by her lost friends and lost family, she went to watch her son. They stood around her, and waited. 

A/N: There you go! That's chapter one! I hope y'all like it! I plan to do James' point of view, then Sirius', then Remus' and then Peter's! Maybe even Petunia's! Hmm, I have to think about that one! Well, I think that if I get 5 reviews, I'll post again! How does that sound? If I only get three (and I better get three, Laura, Jen and Morgs!), then I'll post, no matter what! Anyway, until next time! -Mlle. Jennifleur

  



	2. James

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me! I own nothing! Sue me not!

A/N: HIYO PEEPS!! I'M BACK!! *shies away from angry villagers – er, reviewers – with pitchforks and torches* Don't kill me! I have several very, very good reasons for not updating! a) my special muse-flower pen (don't ask) ran out of ink, so I had to find another one, b) week before Thanksgiving, my class when to DC and I had just finished the chapter, but I couldn't type it or update, c) after DC, my family and I went to Banff, Alberta, and I couldn't type it or update it there, either, d) I moved my computer so the internet didn't work until now when my dad _finally_ fixed it and e) 8th grade is a lot harder than 7th grade!! (my friends can vouch that!) 

          Anyway, there were some things peeps noticed that I will clarify: I know everyone thinks James died first, but he came out of the wand first, yes? James and Lily died on Halloween, but Midwinter fits my story better.  And I am using the veil Sirius fell into as Heaven-ish place, so not to offend anyone.  

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!! I feel oh so loved!

**Carmel March: I so glad you love it! Getting reviews like that from awesome authors makes me all warm and fuzzy!!**

**North*Star4: Of course I remember you!! And yes, I made Lily's watch like the Weasley clock just because it was a kool idea of Ms. Rowlings'.**

**Phantom Panda: *munches candy corn* Thanks for the candy corn, Jenny.  I hope by the next time I update, it isn't candy corn season again!  Hehehehe, jeez, I hope not, but, anyway, thanks for the, er, enthusiastic review!**

**singingvalentine: very deep stuff me gotsis, yes?**

**Jamfase: Mon historie est très populaire, non? Ton historie est très populaire, aussi!**

**Mistress Hermione: Thank you so much!! For reviewing and putting my story under your favorite stories!!  I feel très warm and fuzzy right now!**

**mystic-grim: Here's more! Has anyone ever told you that you have an awesome pen name!**

**Waterfreak(a.k.a.- you know who): Voldemort is reviewing my story, and … liking it?? Sorry Bee, had to put that in there. I'm glad you like it! You should read some more fanfics, but I don't think they have any by Mercedes Lackey!**

**DumbledoresQuill: Don't die! Here it is! And thank you for inviting me to join Meeting of the Minds!! That was très chouette!**

**Seto Forever: My first reviewer!! You should have seen me when I saw that I have a review already! Wow! And I agree, there is virtually nothing on Harry's past! I read something the other day about his past, but of course, now I'm drawing a blank… **

Anyway peeps, in the immortal words of Seto Forever, read on!

*This chapter is dedicated to Seto Forever, my first reviewer, and singvalentine, Phantom Panda, DumbledoresQuill sexyJ, and Mistress Hermione, for putting me on their favorites list*

Chapter 2: James

          James was sitting in his favorite armchair, reading a book written by a Muggle author, Sun Tzu, called _The Art of War.  Dumbledore has recommended it to him, saying that it might help him and the other Aurors with their strategies.  He was so involved with the book that he didn't even notice that Lily had come down form putting their son to bed until she called his name._

          He looked up from his book and put his glasses he was gnawing on back on his face, saying,

          "Yes, Lily-of-the-valley?" using an old nickname of Lily's, one she wasn't particularly fond of. James knew something was bothering his wife when she didn't respond to his choice of title for her.

          "Does it seem too-" Lily broke off, hesitating, then continued, "I don't know, too _quiet to you?"_

          Pondering this, James replied, "Not really, m'dear, but it is more serene and quiet than usual."

          Lily then said, "Well, doesn't it seem, oh, I'm not sure, rather like quiet before the storm?"

          At this, James snapped his book shut and hurriedly walked over to Lily, crossing the room in two strides.  He knew that something was about to happen. Lily's ability as a Seer, mixed with her natural 6th sense that detected uneasiness and wrongness, made her very fine-tuned when it came to sensing danger; James knew this and always took her seriously at times like these.  All he could say was, "Look at your watch."

          Lily did so, gasped, then showed it to James.  When he saw what the clock-face read, James could feel the blood draining out of his face.  Pulling back the curtains, he got, if possible, even paler at the sight just outside his window.

          "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!" James shouted as he felt the wash of magic of the Fidelius charm disappearing, "Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

          Turning away from Lily dashing up the stairs, James took out his wand and prepared himself for battle.  Voldemort soon broke the door down, blasting it to pieces.  He laughed a high, cruel laugh when he saw James standing there; ready to defend his home and his love.

          "You fool. You and your precious mudblood wife may have escaped the Dark Lord 3 times before, but now your luck has run out," Voldemort hissed.  

          James spat at the man in front of him, "Don't call Lily a mudblood, Tom.  You're a halfblood, yourself.  You managing to get into Slytherin with a father like yours is only possible because of Slytherin himself, and you know it."  

          His foe's eyes flashed an even darker red.  "Never mention that scum for whom I was named for again, not insult the might Salazar Slytherin!" With that, the battle began.

          James and Lord Voldemort dueled, with James having the upper hand.  Suddenly, Riddle shot a dark curse James could not block at him.  Flying back into the wall, with his living room crumbling around him, James knew no more.

*

          James' eyes sprang open.  Judging by what he heard from upstairs, Lily and Voldemort dueling.  '_So she hadn't gotten out in time,'_ James thought as he climbed out of the rubble and bounded up the stairs.  He had just reached the top when he heard those fatal words and saw the flash of green light.  Feeling his watch change, James glanced at it and saw that Lily's hand was gone.  His darling Tiger Lily was dead.  With a sudden rush of adrenaline, James burst into the room to avenge his wife's death.

          "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he roared, wand pointing at Lily's murderer.  

          Dodging the curses James was spitting out faster than lightning, Lord Voldemort shouted, "Morsmordre!" A huge, glowing green Dark Mark appeared over James' house, or rather, the half that hadn't collapsed in.  

          Circling, James and his opponent began to duel, picking up from where they left off before. 

          "So, I see you survived," Voldemort's lip curled into an ugly sneer, "I will have to kill you properly now. Don't worry; I'll enjoy that much, much more."

          Sensing what was about to happen, James bellowed, "Avada Kedavra!"

          But Tom was faster.  Before James was half done, a colossal flash of green light from his foe's wand and James sped away from his body 

*

          What seemed like a few seconds and a lifetime combined brought James behind the veil.  There stood Lily, her family, her best friends, and – could it be? – James' parents, Vivien and Jacob Potter.  James ran to them and gave his parents each a bone-breaking hug; Mrs. Potter was an Auror and had been killed in battle in James' 7th year, and Jacob Potter had followed his wife a few months later.

          Feeling a tap on his shoulder, James turned around to look into the tear-rimmed eyes of his wife.  He took Lily in his arms, and they stood there, surrounded by loved ones, drawing strength from each other.  

          After a while, Lily stepped back and looked James in the eye, with tears running down her face.  "James," she whispered.

          Vivien Potter stepped forward and put a gentle hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder.  "You know what your son's fate is," she said in her low, husky voice.  

          James nodded.  "We won't be able to truly help him until he started Hogwarts," he said with regret and certainty, though James wasn't sure how he knew this.  

          Lily understood, but she buried her face in James' shirt.  Stroking her hair, he looked at his watch.  Harry's hand had moved from "mortal peril" to "Godric's Hollow."

          "Lily!" James whispered urgently, "Lily, he's done it! Harry's defeated Voldemort!  Our little baby boy has bested the darkest wizard since Grindelwald!" 

          Lily looked up at her husband, eyelashes spiked with tears.  "Wha-wha-what?!"

          Rose Evans stepped forward, next to James' mother.

          "Come, see for yourself."

          Lily clutched her watch with an extremely tight gripe as the Potters, the Evans, Faye and Yvonne led her away to watch The Boy Who Lived.  

A/N: There ya go! I have the next chapter just waiting to be posted, but not without some reviews first! So review! And if anyone wants to beta – read for me, I'd love it! –Mlle. Jennifleur


	3. Petunia

Disclaimer: If you believe that I'm making money off of this, then would you care to by the Brooklyn Bridge? Special, one time offer!

A/N: Hello Peoples!! After a long, long, rest, I have resurfaced!! But I have reasons for this! They are as followed:

1) It's the end of the year and every single teacher decided to shove as many projects as they can down our throats. They're all over now, but I was pulling all-nighters to get them done, with absolutely no free time

2) The one week I could have updated anything, we were traveling

3) In the process of transferring things from one computer to another, I lost this file and had to dig it up from my old emails to find it.

Yeah, I know that's not a good enough excuse, but work with me here. The only reason why I can update now and not in the summer is because I'm sick (possibly with strep throat, yech) and I have all this free time on my hands. But anyway, before you read Chapter 3, I have some thank yous to make:

**Iesa****:** Thanks so much for adding "The Watch" onto your favorites list! I feel so loved!! And thank so, so much beta reading this!! I don't know what I would do without you! Anyway, chapter 4 will be sent as soon as I can type it.

**uhh****…****Voldemort****?:** I believe this chapter is a bit longer than the last one. I know the next chapter will be! Well, it's split up into 2 parts, but whatever. I'm surprised you haven't come over and forced me to update soon, I really am!

**sexyJ****:** Thanks so much for your reviews for chapters one and two! And how I came up with it? Ask my muse, I'm sure she's lurking around somewhere…

**Carmel**** March:** Yay! I made someone happy! Carm, reviews like yours make me happy!

**Phantom Panda:** munches on popcorn You fell out of your chair?! Jenni Knights don't do that! What are you going on about Yuu for? I thought we already decided this, Jen! And don't get me started on Icchan! He's old enough to be your dad (then again, so is Johnny Depp…). No more popcorn for me though, try cough candies!!

**singingvalentine****:** Yes, you did post your story, but my question is, when are you going to reposted it? Hmm? Anyway, I'm sure you've long forgotten this, but read it anyway!

**babe**** and a half:** I don't really care that you didn't leave a review, but you added me to your author alerts and favorites list! Yay! As long as you do that, I know I'm loved! Heaven only knows I do that all the time!! J

**MyOwnLittleWorld****:** Thank you so much for beta reading this!! I worship the ground you walk, er, type on!! Chapter 4 will be there soon, I promise! Anyway, Keth will kill me if it's not!

Anyway, here ya go!

This chapter is dedicated to MyOwnLittleWorld and Iesa for being awesome betas!

Chapter 3: Petunia

I sat in my armchair, holding a card. At a first glance, there was nothing truly extraordinary about it. Just a plain, everyday Christmas card, showing Santa Claus stuffing stockings, while an old grandfather clock chimed near a Christmas tree.

I knew it was different. But somehow, I was the only one. The grandfather clock had the same faces and hands as the watch. The watch Lily had charmed for me. The watch that only I could read. When Vernon saw my watch, it was an ordinary, run-of-the-mill kind of watch, not one that showed the well being of all those near and dear to my heart. I dared not mention its strange powers to my husband, for he feared magic in all shapes and forms. So it was my secret.

I flipped the card open. There, in ever-changing colored ink, Lily had written in her slanted, looping scrip:

_Dear Petty, __Vernon__ and __Dudley__,_

_ Happy (Early!) Christmas! It's Harry and __Dudley__'s second Christmas! Don't worry; the gifts I sent aren't the least bit magic! The only thing out of the ordinary is the card, and it's only for display. I take it we won't be seeing you at all anytime soon, but feel free to drop by anytime before the 14th _(The card had come the 1st of December)_ I dare say it would be quite impossible to reach us then! Remember what I mentioned in my last letter about Voldemort and going into hiding? Well, a charm will be put into affect on the 14th, hiding us from the world. Anyway, please don't return these gifts! I swear they aren't cursed or charmed in any way, shape or form (James really is sorry about __Vernon__'s birthday present. His best friends found it and, er, decided to make it, um, more interesting) Best wishes to __Vernon__ and Little __Dudley__!_

_ Your ever-loving sister,_

_ Lily_

Ever-loving sister is right. When Lily received her Hogwarts letter, I became jealous, but, figuring that I would be receiving one 2 years later, I didn't let my jealousy overcome me. But when I turned eleven and no Hogwarts letter came, inviting me to go to a school filled with witches and magic, I started to say rude, mean and nasty comments to Lily, almost blaming her for my lack of sorcery. The apparent love and adoration for my older sister started draining, more and more with each passing day.

But when little Lavender obtained a letter welcoming her to join the magical community, I was shocked. Were my sisters better than me, was that why they were witches and I'm not?

I told myself no, all witches were freaks, that I shouldn't lower myself to converse with them, that it was Lily's fault I wasn't a witch. She must have had some say in it at her freak school and gotten my powers taken away from me – and that I should ignore the freaks.

So I did. I would barely string two words together, despite my parents' and sisters' best efforts, and when I did, they were rude and unkind. With every passing day, Lily and I grew further and further apart – we'd been very close before all this freak business started – and Lily and Lavender grew closer and closer together.

But when Mum, Dad, and my baby sister died because of magic, I cut off all connection with Lily. So what if she was my legal guardian? I moved out and married Vernon. Lily still sent gifts and cards on Vernon's, Dudley's and my birthday and on holidays, and had wanted to name me Harry's godmother – her freak husband of course didn't want to and I completely refused – no matter what I did to discourage it.

Vernon would always pretend that I didn't have an older sister, as did I, but despite my outward appearances, I kept little mementoes of my other family I had left behind in a charmed lockbox Lily and Lavender had given me the last Christmas we were all together. That was the last sign of my love for my older sister, which had gone from bright, large flames to smothering embers in less than a decade.

Suddenly, something caught my eye. Lily's hand on the old grandfather clock – and the one on my watch as well – was spinning from its position on "Godric's Hollow" to "mortal peril." As I stared at her trembling hand with dazed wonderment, I wanted to do something, but couldn't without endangering my life and my families.

A few minutes later, Lily's hand was gone. No flickering, no fading into oblivion, no "poof!" Just gone. There one second, gone the next. I knew what had happened. Lily' life – and the hand on the watch – was gone, snuffed out like a candle's flame. My older sister and her family, the last of the Evans line excluding me, had died and was lost for me forever.

I ran upstairs to the attic and found my lockbox. Blowing off the dust, I traced the Petunia, Lavender and Lily flower engraved on the top. After lifting the lid – for tracing the pattern activated the magic and unlocked the box – I placed Lily's latest letter into the little cedar box that held the only other signs of my sisters.

Staring at the pile, I slowly pulled it out and looked at everything, one by one. Hot, fast tears stared falling, smudging some papers, as I relived each memory. But by the time everything of Lavender's and Lily's was seen, there was no sign I had cried at all, except for my pale, somber face.

Placing everything back in the box, I hesitated, and then slipped my gold watch in as well. Face drawn, but set, I stood up, wiping the dirt and grime off me, and carried the little cedar box down to the living room – to the fireplace.

When I reached the fire Vernon kept running all winter long, I took out a vial of gray-blue ash from its container under the box. I tossed the ash into the fire, so the box and its contents would burn. With a whoosh! the flames roared up, then died down a bit, turning an ice blue. Determined, I dropped the lockbox into the magical flames.

As I watched it burn, I though about the promise Lily had broken. The promise she made when I was born. The promise she had never, ever broken until now. The promise that she would never leave me. While watching the fire die down, I felt the flames of my love for my sisters go from embers to a single spark among ashes.

Gathering the blue ashes, I went out back and buried them in a box under a willow tree. Once that was done, I went straight to bed, trying to forget the whole thing – and nearly succeeding. But just as I fell asleep, voices whispered in my ear, "Never forget us, Petty…"

. . .

Meanwhile, unknown to anyone, a dirty gold watch lay in the fireplace. No one could tell, but under all the soot, the face had changed. Four hands that had previously been missing had appeared, and engraved on the back were the words, "Never Forget."


End file.
